A Brief Analysis on the Idea of “You do You” in College

I moved in a little over 1 week ago. Now 1 week in retrospect to a whole summer may not seem like a long period of time, but I assure you that your first week in college will be an eye-opening experience. It’s not necessarily one particular thing; the dorm life, the excessive indulgence in Livi dining hall food, the thrill of being able to do whatever your heart desires, but rather the idea that this experience is yours, and only yours. And that’s a LOT of pressure. Be at every event posted on Facebook, eat everything in sight, score everything that’s free, go out as much as possible, meet as many people as possible….it’s a LOT. One week into my freshman year and I’m learning that college is a place of immense choice. You can’t be everywhere, or do everything, or hang out with everyone. There’s only 1 of you, and a million different opportunities and possibilities. My advice? Yeah go out. Have fun, eat healthy, hang out with your friends, and have the best time. But don’t be surprised if you find that you hate partying, or that eating greasy take-out at 1 AM while watching Netflix with your girls is actually way more satisfying than being or finding ratio on a Friday night. As a freshman I confess that there are parts of college that are unsettling to me. I haven’t made very many friends, weekend buses are an absolute hassle, and I get lost almost everytime I try to walk to my chem lecture. But my problems aren’t really problems. They’re aspects of college to which I’ll probably grow accustomed. If you’re a scared freshman, like myself, just remember the way you felt at the first game. Rutgers teems with pride, energy, and spirit. We embody the young and lively college culture. So the next time you get lost, ask someone where the building is and ditch Google maps….because I promise you the navigation is probably wrong. And the next time you think there isn’t space on that weekend bus, think again because where there is a will, there is a way. Gain that freshman 15, because didn’t Grandma always tell you to get some meat on your bones, anyway? I’m blogging to let you know that I know nothing. And I’m proud of that fact. And maybe I will wear my lanyard around my neck when my hands are full. And maybe I’ll have way more fat sandwiches than I should. Bottom line: these are choices, choices that we make for ourselves. We’re going to be making our own decisions from now on. And the options we have here are nothing short of amazing. Here’s to an amazing, choice-tastic year.